Staff Pick

Talking Heads fans will flock to this book. Bicycle enthusiasts will shove each other out of the way to get the first copy. But it's the cyclists who are also Talking Heads fans that you really have to watch out for, because they're going to be unstoppable in their quest to acquire Bicycle Diaries. And once they've devoured it, they're going to stampede back for 10 copies to give away to friends and loved ones. Yes, it's that good!Recommended by Chris Bolton, Powells.com

Review-A-Day

"Byrne, best known as the leader of the iconic new wave band Talking Heads, is an avid urban cyclist. Bicycling — meandering, exploring, just getting from place to place — has become his 'panoramic window' on life around the globe. He explains: 'Through this window I catch glimpses of the mind of my fellow man, as expressed in the cities he lives in.'" Damian Kilby, The Oregonian (read the entire Oregonian review)

Synopses & Reviews

Please note that used books may not include additional media (study guides, CDs, DVDs, solutions manuals, etc.) as described in the publisher comments.

Publisher Comments:

A renowned musician and visual artist presents an idiosyncratic behind-the-handlebars view of the world's cities.

Since the early 1980s, David Byrne has been riding a bike as his principal means of transportation in New York City. Two decades ago, he discovered folding bikes and started taking them on tour. Byrne's choice was made out of convenience rather than political motivation, but the more cities he saw from his bicycle, the more he became hooked on this mode of transport and the sense of liberation it provided. Convinced that urban biking opens one's eyes to the inner workings and rhythms of a city's geography and population, Byrne began keeping a journal of his observations and insights.

An account of what he sees and whom he meets as he pedals through metropoles from Berlin to Buenos Aires, Istanbul to San Francisco, Manila to New York, Bicycle Diaries also records Byrne's thoughts on world music, urban planning, fashion, architecture, cultural dislocation, and much more, all conveyed with a highly personal mixture of humor, curiosity, and humility. Part travelogue, part journal, part photo album, Bicycle Diaries is an eye-opening celebration of seeing the world from the seat of a bike.

Review:

"Byrne is fascinated by cities, especially as visited on a trusty fold-up bicycle, and in these random musings over many years while cycling through such places as Sydney, Australia; Manila, Philippines; San Francisco; or his home of New York, the former Talking Head, artist and author (True Stories) offers his frank views on urban planning, art and postmodern civilization in general. For each city, he focuses on its germane issues, such as the still troublingly clear-cut class system in London, notions of justice and human migration that spring to mind while visiting the Stasi Museum in Berlin, religious iconography in Istanbul, gentrification in Buenos Aires and Imelda Marcos's legacy in Manila. In low-key prose, he describes his meetings with other artists and musicians where he played and set up installations, such as an ironic PowerPoint presentation to an IT audience in Berkeley, Calif. He notes that the condition of the roads reveals much about a city, like the impossibly civilized, pleasant pathways designed just for bikes in Berlin versus the fractured car-mad system of highways in some American cities, giving way to an eerie 'post apocalyptic landscape' (e.g., Detroit). While 'stupid planning decisions' have destroyed much that is good about cities, he is confident there is hope, in terms of mixed-use, diverse neighborhoods; riding a bike can aid in the survival of cities by easing congestion. Candid and self-deprecating, Byrne offers a work that is as engaging as it is cerebral and informative. (Sept.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Review:

"Byrne fans will enjoy this peek into the star's daily life." Kirkus Reviews

Review:

"The man who emerges from these pages is the type of person we'd all like to meet, just more observant than most. Enthusiastically recommended." Library Journal

Review:

"[S]ure to please fans of his music and personal photographs from his journeys, this is a loving tribute to the bicycle and world travel." Booklist

Review:

"The book, then, is partly about cycling but also about whatever Byrne happens to have on his mind at the time, and fortunately a lot of it is quite interesting." New York Times

Review:

"Even if you don't own a bike and have no plans to mount one, you'll pedal through the pages...full of musings by a compelling eccentric." Washington Post

Synopsis:

History, mystery, and the fine art of detection mingle against exotic locales and intriguing characters in this tale of the search for the original celebrity cyclist whose disappearance fueled one of American sports' undying legends

Synopsis:

A witty, candid, sharply written memoir by the cofounder of Steely Dan

In his entertaining debut as an author, Donald Fagen—musician, songwriter, and cofounder of Steely Dan—reveals the cultural figures and currents that shaped his artistic sensibility, as well as offering a look at his college days and a hilarious account of life on the road. Fagen presents the eminent hipsters” who spoke to him as he was growing up in a bland New Jersey suburb in the early 1960s; his colorful, mind-expanding years at Bard College, where he first met his musical partner Walter Becker; and the agonies and ecstasies of a recent cross-country tour with Michael McDonald and Boz Scaggs. Acclaimed for his literate lyrics and complex arrangements as a musician, Fagen here proves himself a sophisticated writer with his own distinctive voice.

Synopsis:

A witty, revealing, sharply written work of memoir and criticism by the cofounder of Steely Dan

Musician and songwriter Donald Fagen presents a group of vivid set pieces in his entertaining debut as an author, from portraits of the cultural figures and currents that shaped him as a youth to an account of his college days and of life on the road.

Fagen begins by introducing the eminent hipsters” that spoke to him as he was growing up in a bland New Jersey suburb in the early 1960s, among them Jean Shepherd, whose manic nightly broadcasts out of WOR-Radio enthralled a generation of alienated young people”; Henry Mancini, whose swank, noirish soundtracks left their mark on him; and Mort Fega, the laid-back, knowledgeable all-night jazz man at WEVD who was like the cool uncle you always wished you had.” He writes of how, coming of age during the paranoid Cold War era, one of his primary doors of escape became reading science fiction, and of his invigorating trips into New York City to hear jazz. Class of 69” recounts Fagens colorful, mind-expanding years at Bard College, the progressive school north of New York City, where he first met his future musical partner Walter Becker. With the Dukes of September” offers a cranky, hilarious account of the ups and downs of a recent cross-country tour Fagen made with Boz Scaggs and Michael McDonald, performing a program of old R&B and soul tunes as well as some of their own hits.

Acclaimed for the elaborate arrangements and jazz harmonies of his songs, Fagen proves himself a sophisticated writer with a very distinctive voice in this engaging book.

Description:

About the Author

David Byrne was born in Dumbarton, Scotland in 1952 and lives in New York. Although he is known primarily as a member of the New Wave band Talking Heads, he has been exhibiting visual art in galleries and museums around the world since the 1990s. Much of his work is done anonymously and publicly, including a series of street posters in New York and light boxes in Sydney, Australia.

What Our Readers Are Saying

Average customer rating based on 3 comments:

Omamorrow, December 3, 2009 (view all comments by Omamorrow)
The perfect gift for my son-in-law, the bike guy and world traveler! Thanks for featuring. I can't wait to sneak a read myself when I'm dog sitting at his home...

Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No(4 of 8 readers found this comment helpful)

Sheilagh, August 14, 2009 (view all comments by Sheilagh)
I am so excited to read this book, a book about cycling by one of my all time favorite artists. I am interested to read his musings of bicycle travel throughout the US and all over the world and how that intersects with his artistic influence. Wow, a book about cycling by David Byrne!!! Life could not get any better than that, oh yeah he is coming to visit Portland, OR - life just got better!

Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No(19 of 39 readers found this comment helpful)

Talking Heads fans will flock to this book. Bicycle enthusiasts will shove each other out of the way to get the first copy. But it's the cyclists who are also Talking Heads fans that you really have to watch out for, because they're going to be unstoppable in their quest to acquire Bicycle Diaries. And once they've devoured it, they're going to stampede back for 10 copies to give away to friends and loved ones. Yes, it's that good!

by Chris Bolton

"Publishers Weekly Review"
by Publishers Weekly,
"Byrne is fascinated by cities, especially as visited on a trusty fold-up bicycle, and in these random musings over many years while cycling through such places as Sydney, Australia; Manila, Philippines; San Francisco; or his home of New York, the former Talking Head, artist and author (True Stories) offers his frank views on urban planning, art and postmodern civilization in general. For each city, he focuses on its germane issues, such as the still troublingly clear-cut class system in London, notions of justice and human migration that spring to mind while visiting the Stasi Museum in Berlin, religious iconography in Istanbul, gentrification in Buenos Aires and Imelda Marcos's legacy in Manila. In low-key prose, he describes his meetings with other artists and musicians where he played and set up installations, such as an ironic PowerPoint presentation to an IT audience in Berkeley, Calif. He notes that the condition of the roads reveals much about a city, like the impossibly civilized, pleasant pathways designed just for bikes in Berlin versus the fractured car-mad system of highways in some American cities, giving way to an eerie 'post apocalyptic landscape' (e.g., Detroit). While 'stupid planning decisions' have destroyed much that is good about cities, he is confident there is hope, in terms of mixed-use, diverse neighborhoods; riding a bike can aid in the survival of cities by easing congestion. Candid and self-deprecating, Byrne offers a work that is as engaging as it is cerebral and informative. (Sept.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

"Review A Day"
by Damian Kilby, The Oregonian,
"Byrne, best known as the leader of the iconic new wave band Talking Heads, is an avid urban cyclist. Bicycling — meandering, exploring, just getting from place to place — has become his 'panoramic window' on life around the globe. He explains: 'Through this window I catch glimpses of the mind of my fellow man, as expressed in the cities he lives in.'" (read the entire Oregonian review)

"Review"
by Kirkus Reviews,
"Byrne fans will enjoy this peek into the star's daily life."

"Review"
by Library Journal,
"The man who emerges from these pages is the type of person we'd all like to meet, just more observant than most. Enthusiastically recommended."

"Review"
by Booklist,
"[S]ure to please fans of his music and personal photographs from his journeys, this is a loving tribute to the bicycle and world travel."

"Review"
by New York Times,
"The book, then, is partly about cycling but also about whatever Byrne happens to have on his mind at the time, and fortunately a lot of it is quite interesting."

"Review"
by Washington Post,
"Even if you don't own a bike and have no plans to mount one, you'll pedal through the pages...full of musings by a compelling eccentric."

"Synopsis"
by Firebrand,

History, mystery, and the fine art of detection mingle against exotic locales and intriguing characters in this tale of the search for the original celebrity cyclist whose disappearance fueled one of American sports' undying legends

"Synopsis"
by Firebrand,

A witty, candid, sharply written memoir by the cofounder of Steely Dan

In his entertaining debut as an author, Donald Fagen—musician, songwriter, and cofounder of Steely Dan—reveals the cultural figures and currents that shaped his artistic sensibility, as well as offering a look at his college days and a hilarious account of life on the road. Fagen presents the eminent hipsters” who spoke to him as he was growing up in a bland New Jersey suburb in the early 1960s; his colorful, mind-expanding years at Bard College, where he first met his musical partner Walter Becker; and the agonies and ecstasies of a recent cross-country tour with Michael McDonald and Boz Scaggs. Acclaimed for his literate lyrics and complex arrangements as a musician, Fagen here proves himself a sophisticated writer with his own distinctive voice.

"Synopsis"
by Firebrand,

A witty, revealing, sharply written work of memoir and criticism by the cofounder of Steely Dan

Musician and songwriter Donald Fagen presents a group of vivid set pieces in his entertaining debut as an author, from portraits of the cultural figures and currents that shaped him as a youth to an account of his college days and of life on the road.

Fagen begins by introducing the eminent hipsters” that spoke to him as he was growing up in a bland New Jersey suburb in the early 1960s, among them Jean Shepherd, whose manic nightly broadcasts out of WOR-Radio enthralled a generation of alienated young people”; Henry Mancini, whose swank, noirish soundtracks left their mark on him; and Mort Fega, the laid-back, knowledgeable all-night jazz man at WEVD who was like the cool uncle you always wished you had.” He writes of how, coming of age during the paranoid Cold War era, one of his primary doors of escape became reading science fiction, and of his invigorating trips into New York City to hear jazz. Class of 69” recounts Fagens colorful, mind-expanding years at Bard College, the progressive school north of New York City, where he first met his future musical partner Walter Becker. With the Dukes of September” offers a cranky, hilarious account of the ups and downs of a recent cross-country tour Fagen made with Boz Scaggs and Michael McDonald, performing a program of old R&B and soul tunes as well as some of their own hits.

Acclaimed for the elaborate arrangements and jazz harmonies of his songs, Fagen proves himself a sophisticated writer with a very distinctive voice in this engaging book.

Powell's City of Books is an independent bookstore in Portland, Oregon, that fills a whole city block with more than a million new, used, and out of print books. Shop those shelves — plus literally millions more books, DVDs, and gifts — here at Powells.com.